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Buttigieg: US may act against airlines on consumers’ behalf

  • By David Koenig/AP
FILE - Travelers queue up at the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver.  Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights by midmorning Friday, June 17, as they try to recover from storms that raked the center and eastern parts of the country.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

 David Zalubowski / AP

FILE - Travelers queue up at the north security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport, Thursday, May 26, 2022, in Denver. Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights by midmorning Friday, June 17, as they try to recover from storms that raked the center and eastern parts of the country. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he’s pushing airlines to hire more customer-service agents and take other steps to help travelers this summer.

Buttigieg tells The Associated Press his department could take enforcement action against airlines that fail to meet consumer-protection standards, although he thinks that won’t be necessary.

Buttigieg says he wants to see how the airlines do over the July Fourth holiday weekend and the rest of the summer.

He held a virtual meeting on Thursday with airline executives where they described steps their companies are taking to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend, when about 2,800 flights were canceled.

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